What a difference a day and even an hour makes!

Update: In the last half our Jacinda took the coun try to Alert level 3 - which means non essential businesses must close, schools will close from tomorrow. And we go to level 4 in 48 Hours! Supermarkets, pharmacies and petrol stations as well as some banking services will stay open. The level had reached 102 cases with 36 new today and only 14 new yesterday but with all the NZ residents who have fled back here it was expected that the number of cases would rise, but the crunch was the two cases they can find no explanation for, so suspect community transference.

Amy is now worried as heck about her parents in Christchurch ... not sure if they can come even if they wanted to. Not sure what will happen with the kids - theyw ere due to go to Olivia tomorrow but her partner is immuno-compromised and she has a 11 month old baby.

The below was written only an hour ago...

AfterJacinda's announcement on Saturday that over 70s should basically self isolate I rang my son Jonathan and took him up on his offer to come to Palmerston North where the family consider I would be safer and they could watch out for me. After a bit of deliberation I  have come down here. It was interesting working what to bring with me, considering I didnt know when I would be back, but I didnt think I would need my party dress, I would want all my technology and hobby stuff. So the sewing machine and table, fabric, painting and drawing bits, activity stuff for the children I had been collecting, my Sanskrit books and my philosophy material plus all the food which might go off. The campervan fitted it all in and I consider I am very lucky.

J and A have been making good preparations for the kids being home from school, the only hitch is that the kids are going to continue to move between two households, but some things cant be changed, so we will work with what we can.

Jonathan and Amy have a 17 acre block of land on which I can be quarantined if there is a need. Their barn has a bed, water, big gas cooker, plenty of space to run around, nice patch of bush next door - and I have just found out they have a generator out there so that I can power up the sewing machine and charge the computer. Campervan has a toilet although it might need emptying. They havent installed the composting toilet that was their Christmas present yet! Currently I am at their place at 52 LInton St and social distancing is likely to work well here for the moment.  Wonderful to be surrounded by calm, intelligent people.

My "wee house" at Linton St

Covid project 1 - a bulletin board for the campervan.

Projects 2 and 3 - new curtains and a cushion for the campervan.

Jonathan's contact number is 029 538 9814 and mine is 021 2644429. I will try to update my blog as often as possible - might be like a diary, and my goal is to also do one drawing a day in my sketch book to provide a visual record also.

But - who would have thought? Very quiet down here ...